"Yeah, i love catching batrays, there's nothing as big and powerful as them out in the bay." "but dont use your nice fishing gear on them they'll chew it up!" damn things trying to fight back, whats wrong with them.

I know i can't win at this battle. It's an ethical battle, something that most people out there don't understand or probably care about because it is cooler to talk about your kill with your bros during a nice hot bowl of bay batray soup than to try and keep the beach clean.

So if a murderer ate the person he killed what's so wrong with that? Hannibal was wrongfully accused!

for me it's all about respect. If that guy wears his license, catches a ray, kills it quickly and humanely, and eats the entire fish? That's OK by me. If you kill an animal, you have to respect what you have done.

If the bay provides your dinner, the least you can do is keep it clean.

as for "punching a spike through the cows head"? I'm pretty sure that's an improvement over the old method of slitting the throat and letting it bleed.

when it comes down to it, it's all pretty nasty business.

knowing that an animal died for me to have my meat just makes me that much more anal about finishing my plate.

I absolutely agree with Adam on this. Having hunted and fished in the past I am totally aware of what that packaged meat is at the store and how it got there. Unless you are a strict vegetarian every time you buy a big mac you are paying someone else to do your killing for you. It is just the cycle of life and I am glad to be high up on the food chain most of the time. I am sure a shark that mistakes you for a seal won't be interested in how humanely you die. But I guess that is what separates us from the rest of the animals. I would be careful labeling these guys low lifes just because they fish. However if they leave garbage and fish hooks on the beach then low lifes are exactly what they are

It is obvious that we can no more explain a passion to a person who has never experienced it than we can explain light to the blind. T.S.Eliot

have you been to La Ventana? because you will really get ill. it is true that the ocean is literally being fished empty. it's a tough issue to address because most people eat meat and fish. however, as i've gotten older and have seen what i've seen, it becomes more and more difficult to eat meat and fish. the shrimp boats in mexico sweep everything up into their nets and let them die needlessly, from puffer fish to cute little seahorses, just for a few shrimp.
check with the dept of fish and game regarding fishing practices in alameda. they are very serious about those laws. they have really big guns and even bigger binoculars! they are on the delta a lot. we saw them bust some russians a couple of years ago for several illegal bass and sturgeon.
otherwise, as the slogan goes: think globally, act locally.